Barely weeks into her tenure, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Mrs. Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, has taken a decisive step toward strengthening access to legal education by endorsing the PUSG.

Diezani Alison-Madueke, on trial for alleged bribery, reportedly spent £140,000 on luxury London furniture and art, purchases made via intermediaries.

Governor Fintiri calls for prosecution of electoral fraudsters, stressing that unpunished crimes threaten Nigeria’s democracy during a book presentation.

Mass evictions in Lagos displace thousands including baby twins now living in a canoe.

To many Nigerians, Makoko has long been distinctive. To nonprofit organizations, it has been a testing ground for ideas like floating schools. But to some developers and authorities, it’s valuable waterfront property in the hands of some of the megacity’s poorest people.

More than 3,000 homes have been torn down and 10,000 people displaced in this latest wave of demolitions that began in late December, according to a coalition of local advocacy groups. Makoko’s residents have lived here legally, but Nigeria’s Land Law allows the government to take any land it deems fit for public purpose.

There is a long history of such mass evictions in the rapidly developing city of an estimated 20 million people on the Gulf of Guinea. Advocacy groups estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes since 2023, when the current state government took office.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people protested the mass evictions across Lagos. Police dispersed them with tear gas.
Population pressures

As Lagos’ population increases, people in low-income communities like Makoko have been caught in the line of fire amid government efforts to develop the megacity.

Residents told the AP that the Lagos state government in this case asked people to move 100 meters from an electricity line, but then the demolitions just kept going.

Officials at the state’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development declined to answer questions about the Makoko demolitions and residents’ allegations that there had been little or no warning before they began on Dec. 23.

The officials, however, pointed to recent comments by Lagos Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who defended the evictions and cited safety risks, saying communities had spread close to critical infrastructure.

Residents say that space in the Makoko area had been allotted to a private construction company, one of many in a city where waterfront space is often prized for luxury and other properties. The AP couldn’t verify that allegation.

“I think that when (the government) is looking for centrally located land and since other places are filled up, there is the idea that you can come and clear away communities because they are less privileged and you can come up with some justification,” said Megan Chapman, co-director for the Justice and Empowerment Initiatives, an advocacy group for displaced communities in Lagos.
High rents

Makoko, established in the 19th century, has survived past attempts at demolition, usually when there’s a public outcry. Life meanders through narrow streets and waterways in the community nicknamed the “Venice of Africa” by outsiders. There are few public services like electricity or waste management.

Those being displaced say they have few options. Lagos has some of Africa’s highest rents. A room in a tenement house where dozens of people share bathrooms can go for 700 thousand naira annually (around $500) in a city where the minimum wage is 77,000 naira ($55).

Basirat Kpetosi sat atop the ruins of her waterfront home in Makoko, frying dough in sizzling oil for sale. She was resigned to her loss.

Kpetosi said that she woke to the sound of bulldozers on Jan. 9, when her house was torn down. Now she and her five children are left with no shelter.

Kpetosi, from a family of fishermen, said that she built the home on the lagoon — two rooms on stilts made of bamboo and aluminium sheets — last year.

She said they received no compensation for its destruction, and the government is making no plans for their resettlement, even though the law requires it. In a 2017 ruling by the Lagos High Court seen by the AP, the judge ruled that mass eviction without resettlement violated the “fundamental right to protection from cruel and degrading treatment.”

“We sleep in the open,” Kpetosi said. “When it rained, it rained on my children and me.”

Ope Adetayo, The Associated Press

The Ogun State Government has formally transferred the 21-year-old, state-owned Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) to the Federal Government.

In every political movement, moments arise when difficult choices must be made. These moments often test loyalty, redefine priorities, and expose deeper questions about purpose and responsibility.

Bandits killed a police Inspector in Oyo State during a Budo Masalasi ambush, while attacks in Kajuru saw multiple kidnappings, raising fears over rising insecurity.

Anambra State’s ban on IPOB’s Monday sit-at-home has sparked tension, as residents show sympathy for the group, while the government threatens sanctions for defiance.

Oyo Police foiled a kidnap in Olorunda, Oyo West, rescuing a victim with head injuries in a swift, intelligence-led operation.

The Lagos State Government has justified demolitions in Makoko and waterfront areas as safety measures, saying the actions aim to protect lives and property.